Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Forasmuch as our good & faithful shepherds the ministers of this church, peradventure fearing to be overlong or tedious to their readers, do in the end of their preface made to these sermons, but (as it were glancing lie) touch one point, which notwithstanding is of great importance for the poor strangers that are come into this town: to our seeming it would be thought neither amiss nor strange, if we for our duties sake, declared the thing somewhat more at large, which they spake in one word, concerning the printing of the sermons of our late good father M. John Calvin. Now then, for the better understanding of the whole, you must consider that from the year of our Lord 1549 forth on, the late M. Dennis Ragueneawe being fled hither, gave himself to the gathering of the Sermons word for word, which M. John Calvin did ordinarily make: and that with such swiftness and cunning, through the use of certain notes & shapes, as few words escaped him even from the beginning. Which thing when they saw which had the charge of the poor strangers at that time: although they had not any great sum of money wherewith to relieve the present needs: yet failed they not to take such order, that the said writer was entertained after a sort with some part of the same money, to the intent he might have wherewith to maintain himself and his small family, while he gave himself wholly to the gathering of these sermons, & to the engrossing of them fair again afterward, because he should spare no time to any other business than that. He undertook the charge, with condition that he should copy out all the Sermons fair, into books of a certain scantling of size whereby they should be made, which he should deliver to one of the Deacons to be faithfully kept, as a peculiar benefit belonging to the poor strangers, at whose charges the said writer was entertained. And forasmuch as afterward the number of the faithful increased daily in the realm of France, and many that could not hear the lively voice of this good servant of God in the pulpit, were desirous at leastwise to see the things in writing, which he preached openly, and prayed to be made partakers of them:

FOrasmuch as our good & faithfull shepherds the ministers of this church, peraduenture fearing to be ouerlong or tedious to their readers, do in the end of their preface made to these sermons, but (as it were glauncing lie) touch one point, which notwithstanding is of great importance for the poore straungers that are come into this towne: to our seeming it would be thought neither amisse nor strange, if we for our dueties sake, declared the thing somewhat more at large, which they spake in one word, cōcerning the printing of the sermons of our late good father M. Iohn Caluin. Nowe then, for the better vnderstanding of the whole, you must consider that from the yere of our Lord 1549 forth on, the late M. Dennis Ragueneawe being fled hither, gaue himselfe to the gathering of the Sermons word for word, which M. Iohn Caluin did ordinarilie make: and that with such swiftnes and cunning, through the vse of certain notes & shapes, as few words escaped him euen from the beginning. Which thing when they saw which had the charge of the poore strangers at that time: although they had not any great sum of money wherwith to releeue the present needs: yet failed they not to take such order, that ye said writer was intertained after a sort with some part of the same money, to the intent he might haue wherewith to maintaine himselfe and his small familie, while he gaue himselfe wholly to the gathering of these sermons, & to the ingrosing of them faire againe afterward, because he shoulde spare no time to any other businesse than that. He vndertooke the charge, with condition that he should copie out all the Sermons faire, into bookes of a certain scantling of syse whereby they should be made, which he should deliuer to one of the Deacons to be faithfully kept, as a peculiar benefite belonging to the poore straungers, at whose charges the saide writer was intertained. And forasmuch as afterward the number of the faithfull increased dailie in the realme of France, and many that could not heare the liuely voice of this good seruant of God in the pulpit, were desirous at leastwise to see the things in writing, which he preached openly, and praied to be made partakers of them: